This invention relates to film processing apparatus and more particularly to carriages for use in conveying film chips through a film processor.
A processor for automatically processing batches of dental X-ray film chips of a standard size has been previously disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,882,525 issued to Ernst Zwettler. The processor includes a film chip transport unit comprised of a continuous channel having successive downwardly and upwardly curved portions which extend down into and out of tanks of solutions needed for developing the film chips. The inner lateral surfaces of the channel are provided with paths formed by opposing pairs of vee-grooves which loosely engage the side edges of vertically disposed film chips introduced into the channel. Mounted to rotate in each downwardly curved portion of the channel is a lower lifter, and mounted to rotate in each upwardly curved portion of the channel is an upper lifter. By such an arrangement, film chips introduced into the entrance passage of the channel freely slide by gravity along the downwardly extending portions of their paths and are lifted by the lower and upper rotating lifters along the upwardly extending portions of their paths. Upon being lifted from the last tank, the film chips are pushed into a dryer compartment where they are engaged between pairs of vee-grooves provided on spaced rollers which are continuously being rotated to advance the film chips.
Although the film chip processor disclosed in the aforementioned patent is admirably suited for automatically processing film chips of a standard size which correspond to approximately 85% of the X-ray film chips used by a dentist, there are several other sizes of film chips, hereinafter referred to as odd-size film chips, which cannot be processed by the processor.